As the President of PGI Section 22, I am excited about our prospects for the future and proud of the accomplishments we have achieved this past year. First, I want to thank the many wonderful people who volunteer to make our community great. We are a community of volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make BSM a place to be proud of. Whether you volunteer to help your local COA/HOA, you help with the fitness center, golf course, Linkside, irrigation or Section 22 issues, you are a major reason why Burnt Store Marina is a fabulous place to live. Everybody needs to ask themselves, “How can I help?” There are no free rides.
The Section 22 board is made up of a group of individuals who spend a lot of time trying to get things accomplished that ultimately benefit everyone in the community. This is an active board, not passive figurehead positions. Board members choose projects to get involved with, and then take the lead to get things done. They work as a part of a team and volunteer countless hours until the initiative is complete. They get no notoriety for what they do, and often get grief for things they have nothing to do with. I think it is important for you to know a little about what your board does. I know there are things that I have left out, but I want to recognize some of their accomplishments.
Jerry Newmin, Vice President, has been on the board 3 years. In 2024 he has spent his time forming the CERT (certified emergency response team) which is new for our community. CERT team members have been trained in CPR, trained on the AED machine, and mobilized during Hurricane Milton. When no emergency responders are available, this group is here to help. Jerry is also actively involved with evaluating roads for the 3-year resurfacing project, works closely with Major Scott on access management issues and is helping to lead the team working with the community planning firm to put together a comprehensive development plan of the future. Jerry’s other major involvement is with the Burnt Store Road Coalition, which is fighting to improve Burnt Store Road. Jerry represents BSM in meetings with the Coalition, Lee County politicians and the planning commission.
Greg Beaton, Treasurer, has been on the board 2 years. The Burnt Store Marina community, along with the country club, fitness facility and community irrigation has a $5,000,000 budget. This means that the treasurer is constantly looking at expenses, revenues and reserve accounts to make sure they are all correct. This is almost a full-time job. Alliant Property Management company handles much of the back-office work, but it is ultimately the treasurer who oversees everything. Greg also works as board liaison with the fitness center operations group, works as a liaison with the BSMCC, and is involved with the community development initiative.
Mark Murphy, Secretary, has been on the board 2 years. Mark serves as the liaison with the community access team. Burnt Store Marina spends over $400,000 per year on community access, making it our largest expenditure. Mark interacts daily, along with Jerry Newmin, with issues ranging from staff, equipment, and security-type issues. Community access is a 24/7/365 job under the leadership of Major Andy Scott and his capable team. Mark stays in constant communication with Major Scott to ensure smooth access control for our community. Mark also has spent numerous hours this year on legal and contract issues that the Section 22 board gets involved in. Lastly, Mark is driving the project to find a place to install online cameras that will show off our beautiful harbor and serve as a marketing tool to promote BSM.
Lynda Vail, at large member, has been on the board for 2 years. She is the primary liaison with Burnt Store Marina Country Club. Lynda is intimately involved with every social function that happens at Linkside, or at the golf course. Whether it’s planning, decorating, coordinating entertainment, or scheduling food trucks, Lynda has her hand in it. In addition to the Club, Lynda also oversees community decorations that you see throughout, as well as coordinating all the events involved with “Home for the Holidays.”
Mike Sage, at large member, has been on the board for one year. Mike, along with his wife Deby, have spent hundreds of hours helping to make the dog park a reality. He met with contractors, vendors, and landscapers to help transform a vacant plot of land into something that adds value to our residents, and also to our properties. Mike has also been actively involved in all the legal issues that regularly come up. From depositions to mediations, Mike has been involved with all of them, and is uniquely qualified to help us navigate complicated legal issues. Mike, along with Jerry Newmin, and Greg Beaton, is also conducting the meetings and interviews with the community planning consulting team that is mapping out a plan for future development within the community.
These board members meet every Tuesday in a working meeting, and then go out to do the work listed above. To have a professional management company handling all these issues would cost a significant amount of money. The board does it because they care. I can’t overstate the importance of having a board of directors that is willing to listen to the community, and then do all the heavy lifting required to produce results. It is critical that we elect people willing to share their time and talent to make our community great.
On January 28, 10 a.m., at the Burnt Store Presbyterian Church, we will have our annual community meeting as well as the election of officers. There are four board seats being determined. Please plan on attending and learning more about the things happening right here in our community.
It is critical that we elect people willing to share their time and talent to make our community great.
